Distance Learning does well on last California Bar

On the most recent California Bar the overall pass rate was 34%. Online and correspondence stacked up pretty well at 18% and 26% equivalent to fixed facility non ABA schools (accredited 18% and unaccredited 25%). If the trend continues that means distance learning is finally the equivalent of a non ABA fixed facility law school, a major development in my opinion.

On the most recent California Bar the overall pass rate was 34%. Online and correspondence stacked up pretty well at 18% and 26% equivalent to fixed facility non ABA schools (accredited 18% and unaccredited 25%). If the trend continues that means distance learning is finally the equivalent of a non ABA fixed facility law school, a major development in my opinion.

1. February always has lower passage rates than the June administration.2. June 2016 was also the lowest on record (for Junes). 3. Even so, June 2016 was higher than February, because June has the most traditional (ABA accredited, on normal track) students taking it.4. You should pay attention to the "repeater" stats- those are the people who failed the first time, and are re-taking it. In both the June and February administration, ABA-accredited schools have much higher repeater rates than all other schools. In addition to having much higher fist-time rates.

What to make of this? The quality of the incoming students is bottoming out. Overall. Which is to say that if you aren't qualified to get into an ABA school, you should seriously look at why you want to go to law school.

That said, it is increasingly apparent that there is little, if any, distinction between on-campus and other forms of non-ABA accredited schools.

(I would include the usual about California and the Baby Bar, portability of the degree, etc., but that's a dead horse by this point. If you want to be a practicing, bar-licensed attorney, your best chance for success is to attend the lowest-cost ABA accredited school in the jurisdiction that accepts you, with the exception of the very top schools (HYS).)